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Pyxis Titles And Epithets
House Pyxis does not have a system of inheriting titles, choosing instead to award titles based on achievement by common consensus at the Moot. There are two ways to receive recognition in the House, a title and an epithet. A title is a monumental award, most only ever receiving one, if any. A few Pyxis, who have become pivotal societal leaders, can accrue two, or perhaps even three. An epithet is more easily obtained. An achievement of great renown that is not necessarily so fundamental that it justifies becoming a title, can become an epithet. While the line is not normally exceptionally clear, epithets tend to be matters that do not relate directly to the house's core ideals, they're just awesome. History After the split, there were innumerable debates regarding the hierarchy of the newly created house. Previously high ranking Velans sought to retain the old system, while others argued that the old system led to Vela's stagnation or pointed out that the new house did not have the correct makeup of nobles to support such a system. Some argued that a new hierarchy should be established, or that the house should abandon titles entirely. The debate raged. The intervention of Granny Pyxis eventually put the matter to rest. Through a complex web of compromises, concessions and public humiliations, she managed to reconcile the various factions. It was agreed, that all Pyxis were equal, that titles should be earned and that titles would not be passed down through lineage. Some of the more niche titles were created through this process, accepting to some degree that some Pyxis, such as Echos, were less likely to achieve a unique title. Titles Titles are major achievements. Awarded at the moot by a vague system of social consensus- with Granny Pyxis as the final arbiter -these are usually the name discoveries of the highest magnitude, such as a wondrous creature or a spectacular new material. Only one title reflects a truly transformative discovery- Lodestone -but they all represent a small advancement in humanity's understanding of the Sector they live in. Pyxis will put huge amounts of thought into naming their discoveries, since there is often a good chance that the name of their discovery will come to be the most prominent part of their name. Discoveries often have names that are barely representative of the actual thing discovered, but sound way cooler. Occasionally, the inverse happens. Some Pyxis, because they think it's funny or want to engage in some mischief, decide to understate their achievements, ending up with seemingly underwhelming titles. The unluckiest Pyxis end up with these titles without intending to receive them. Famously, the title Toast was awarded to the discoverer of the Lodestone Toast Button. Not all titles awarded are necessarily inspired directly by the achievement that justified it. Several Echos have titles, such as Voidburner and Starchaser, that require an explanation as to how they relate to the indecent which engendered them. Often an in-joke or particularly enjoyable piece of wordplay will supplant the name of the original discovery, leaving a Pyxis with a bizarre title which was probably only funny at the time. Epithets Epithets are less significant than titles. Technically, they are also part of a Pyxis's full name, but are usually only used if a Pyxis wants to deliberately disrupt a social situation for malicious or impish purposes. Technically, an epithet is granted at the Moot through the same nickname style process as titles, but in practice the system is even less formal. An epithet can be given for any number of things, often not things that the Pyxis necessarily had any agency in. If a Pyxis is the last of their line, they are given the epithet Last OF The Line Of Family. Epithets are therefore malleable in a way that titles are not. Should that unfortunate, though not necessarily uncommon, Pyxis have children, or discover that a member of their family was not in fact dead after all, they would cease to have that epithet. This can work positively, too. Former Orators receive the the epithet of Formerly Orator Of The X, with X being whichever position they fulfilled. Should the Pyxis then become an Orator again, a rare occurrence, they would later add whichever direction they had served as to the epithet. If they served as the same again, they would become Twice Previously Orator Of The X. Epithets can be awarded for anything impressive or significant, with most Pyxis receiving one every five years or so. This means that some Pyxis have upwards of ten epithets. Unsurprisingly, they relish listing them all. Category:House Pyxis